Weed and plant puller



Oct. 8, 1935. P. R. LEHOTA 2,016,640

' WEED AND PLANT FULLER Filed May 3, 1955 mad-N 7-0/3 3 flu? fiiileiwjm.

)4 TTURNE Patented Oct. 8, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFKIE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to a device whereby its use will pull weeds and small plants from the soil in which they are growing. This device is so constructed that by pressure exerted on the handle 5 of the implement will cause a pair of jaws to close upon the roots of the weed or plant to be pulled and thereafter by further pressure exerted upon the handle, the weed with its roots will be extracted from the soil.

The object of my invention is to construct a pair of jaws pivot bolted flush to a plate and attached together by a spring at the upper end of the jaws, and separated, at a point between the spring and bolts, by a tapered bar affixed through the plate in a position at approximately a 45 degree angle with the plate and jaws, and so designed by the tapered bevel of this vertical bar that its upward movement and passage between the jaws will tend to widen the upper part of the jaws and close the lower, or gripping portion of the jaws.

I obtained these objects in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing and set forth in the specifications following:

Referring to the drawing: Figure l is the side elevation showing the device in use; Figure 2 is the side elevation showing the weed pullers position when the weed has been lifted; Figure 3 is the section 3-3 in Figure 1; Figure 4 is the section 44 in Figure 1; Figure 5 is the section 4-4 in Figure 1 showing the jaws in gripping position.

No. I is the handle of the implement; I I is the handle connection; I2 is the assembly plate; I3 is the opening in the assembly plate; i4 is the jaws; I5 is the pivot bolts; I6 is the jaw points; I! is the upper ends of the jaws; Ila is the weed to be pulled; I8 is the jaw spring; I9 is the jawclosing bar; is the closing bar guide; 2! is the closing bar spring; 22 is the closing bar foot; 23 is the upper end of the jaw-closing bar; 24 is the top of the tapered portion of the jaw-closing bar; 25 is the body or shank of the tapered portion of the jaw-closing bar.

The assembly plate I2 is constructed with a connection II with the handle It). At the lower portion of I2 is a guide bracket 20 through which the pivot bolts I5 are fixed. Between the guide bracket 20 and the upper end of the assembly plate I2 is an opening I3. To the assembly plate I2 are pivoted the jaws I4 by means of the pivot bolts I5. The pivot bolts I5 permit free lateral motion of the jaws I4. The upper end of the jaws I! are connected by the jaw spring It. Through the opening l3 in the assembly plate I2 is situated the jaw-closing bar I9. At the lower end of this closing bar I9 is the foot 22 which affords a fulcrum for the implement at the level of the ground. The upper end of the closing bar 23 is larger than the tapered portions of the closing bars 24% and 25. Between the closing bar guide 20 and the foot 22 is the closing bar spring which affords the return of the jaw closing bar to its original position. 5

When my device constructed by the foregoing parts and shown in my drawings is in its normal position, the jaw points I6 are extended as shown in Figure 4. These jaw points I6 in this extended position may be inserted in the soil on each side of the weed root I'Ia, and the jaw closing bar I9 will be held in a lowered position by its own weight or the pressure of the bar spring 2i such that tapered portion of the closing bar 25 will be on the under side of the jaws I4. Upon the application of pressure on the handle II], the jaw-closing bar I9 moves in an upward direction as shown in Figure 2. This pressure causes the tapered portion of the jaw-closing bar I9 to engage and to pass between the jaws I4, 20 thereby opening the upper ends of the jaws I4 and closing the jaw points l6 upon the weed root Ila. This position of the jaws I4, jaw points l6 and tapered portion of the jaw-closing bar 24 is shown in Figure 5. Further pressure on the han- 25 dle I0 causes the device to function as a simple lever with pressure on the handle l0, fulcrum at the foot 22 and weight at the jaw points I6, thus lifting the weed and roots I'Ia from the ground.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by 30 Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a weed and plant puller, the combination of a handle and a handle connection, to which is afiixed an assembly plate with a pair of jaws pivot-bolted flush thereon, which jaws are joined 3 at the ends in nearest proximity to the handle shaft by a spring; and are separated at a place between the spring and the pivot bolts by a bar, vertical in position, with assembly plate and jaws, tapered from the front to back and from top to 40 bottom, said bar having free movable access through said assembly plate and between said jaws, substantially as described.

2. In a weed and plant puller, the combination of a handle and handle connection, to which is 45 affixed an assembly plate with a pair of jaws pivot-bolted flush thereon, which jaws are joined at the ends in nearest proximity to the handle connection by a spring and are separated by a bar vertical in position with the assembly plate 50 and jaws, said bar being tapered from front to back and from top to bottom, having free movable access through the assembly plate, and between the jaws and provided with a spring around and about its lower portion, extending from the assembly plate tothe foot of the said vertical bar, substantially as described.

PAUL ROSS LEHOTA. 

